Learning to stand up and take a bow

Some people tend to do things for glory or recognition. Others tend to stay in the background and keep a low profile, while others feel they never have done a job well enough.

However, we are humans and hearing you have done a good job can go a long way in keeping the motivation level high.

Some people tend to do things for glory or recognition. Others tend to stay in the background and keep a low profile, while others feel they never have done a job well enough.

However, we are humans and hearing you have done a good job can go a long way in keeping the motivation level high.

I tend to like being on the backside of the limelight. I don’t like my photo taken and I would prefer that others stand in the bright lights. For me, seeing people under my direction recognized is an honor.

I have several staffs that do a pretty good job in their profession. We continue to deliver a product every day and sometimes that is an achievement within itself. As I tell people at times, it is amazing we can do such a task day in and day out.

Seeing my staffs recognized for their efforts is a good feeling. I would like to think maybe it is because I was able to give good direction or a gentle push in a certain way. However, this past week, it was I who received some accolades.

Yes, I appreciate them, but I also look at it as being part of my job. They made me feel good and gave me a sense of accomplishment that what I do every day does have an impact, no matter how slight it may be.

Most of the comments this past week dealt with this space that I try to fill every week. Sometimes the topics come easy and other times it takes a while to come up with an idea. I could write about politics or something that may be controversial; however, sometimes it just is nice to share a little of my life and maybe one can find some joy, laughter, or a thought-provoking idea in the words I present.

One of the comments this past week dealt with the column I wrote about the upcoming millage election for the Sault Area Schools. It was appreciated, but I do feel strongly on this topic and hope the voters get out and support this measure. It is better to be safe than sorry.

This brings me to the next comment. Someone compared me to one of my favorite syndicated columnists who no longer is with us. That columnist used to write about their life and tried to bring humor to his readers no matter how much pain he was going through. I may not always do that, but I do present the inner self in my writings. I hope you enjoy reading them.

However, the biggest comment came through me via a third person but my one of my best critics and best friend – my wife Lucy. At a function we were at Saturday, she was approached by a person who liked the paper and the direction it has taken since I arrived. That made me feel really good, but I cannot claim all the credit.

The paper has taken on a new direction, but it is because of the staff I have here. I just gave a little direction and they took it from there. Yes, I enjoyed the compliment, but the staff deserves the credit. And for that, I hope they stand up and take a bow.

Meanwhile, I will just sit in the background and continue doing what I can to make the newspaper and staff the best I possibly can.

In the interim, give them the credit. They deserve it.

Richard Crofton is the Northern Group Editor for both The Sault Evening News and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.